Author archive
for jjapitana

Meet Shinji Hara: Masonic Lowrider Artist

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Shinji Hara, a member of Anaheim Masonic Lodge No. 207, is one of the most in-demand lowrider artists in the state.

At the Masonic Lodge, Gen Z Is in Charge Now

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A new, younger generation of Masons is increasingly rising through the leadership ranks of the fraternity.

For Masonic Trivia, Jeopardy Is Clued In

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When it comes to the venerable quiz show Jeopardy!, Freemasonry and other Masonic themes are well-trod territory.

Donor Profile: Mike Tagulao

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How a Filipino culture of generosity has transformed California Mason Mike Tagulao’s approach to philanthropy and relief.

In Today’s Fraternal Societies, Traces of Freemasonry’s Family Tree

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Fraternal societies like the Freemasons were born out of ancient, operative trade guilds. They weren’t the only ones.

Grand Master Randy Brill: In Small Towns, A Lodge Is a Civic Center

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Grand Master Randy Brill explains what small-town Masonry can teach us all.

At the California Masonic Memorial Temple, a Community Treasure

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For 64 years, the California Masonic Memorial Temple in San Francisco has been the home of the Masons of California. But it’s so much more.

Emile Norman’s Endomosaic: A Window of Wonder

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Artist Emile Norman never became a household name. But his massive artwork remains a treasure of California Freemasonry in San Francisco.

In Freemasons’ Hall, What’s Old is New Again

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At Freemasons’ Hall, inside the Grand Lodge of California temple in San Francisco, the past and future of Masonic lodge rooms collide.

In Yucca Valley, an Art-Making, Skateboarding Mason

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A skateboarding Mason and installation artist at Yucca Valley No. 802 is shredding perceptions about Freemasonry.

At Downey United, a Mason Leaves an Artistic Legacy

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There’s no missing the massive, Egyptian-inspired wall art known as the Raj Mahal, executed by Mason artist Raj Champieri, at Downey United No. 220.

Donor Profile: CMMT Board Chairman Mark Pressey

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California Masonic Memorial Temple chairman Mark Pressey has a special connection with the home of California Masonry.

Wonders of Masonic America

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These colorful Masonic destinations are on the must-see list of every Masonic traveler and admirer of the craft.

Neighbors, Friends, Hermanos: Freemasonry in Mexico Today

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A history-spanning, forward-looking celebration of the fraternal and cultural connections between California and Mexican Freemasonry.

In California’s Spanish-Speaking Lodges, a Masonic Culture Club

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For members of California’s two official Spanish-speaking Masonic lodges, the sense of brotherhood is twice as strong.

Latin America’s Masonic Liberators

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In the revolutionary movements of Latin America, Central America, and South America, Freemasons were front and center.

The Famous Masonic ‘Traveling Trowel Train’ to Mexico of 1909

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In 1909, a special delegation of California Masons set for Mexico City to deliver a world-famous Masonic traveling “Unity” trowel.

For Argentina: Five Times the Masons, Half the Age

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In just the past decade, Argentina has seen a burst of Masonic activity: From only 2,200 Freemasons in 2008 to more than 10,000 today.

Hammer, Sickle, Square, Compass: Freemasonry in Cuba

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A road trip through Cuba reveals a thriving—and colorful—Masonic community full of eye-catching Masonic lodges.

The Latin America-to-California Masonic Connection

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Meet a group of California Masons who also belong to Masonic lodges in their home countries in Latin America.

MCYAF, Here for You at Every Stage of Life

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The Masonic Center for Youth and Families provides therapy, counseling, and emotional support for all ages, from teens to seniors.

For Freemasons, Death Is Not the End

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Freemasonry offers a framework to living a better life. That’s why it holds so many lessons for confronting death—and whatever comes next.

At a Masonic Cemetery, a Forever Home

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In rural Tuolumne County, a new effort to bring a pair of Gold Rush era Masonic cemeteries back to life.

Underwater, Reminders of a Masonic Cemetery

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Buried among the rocks and rubble of San Francisco’s Aquatic Park breakwater, a reminder of a long-lost Masonic graveyard.

These Morticians Are the Last Masons You’ll Ever Meet

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It takes a special temperament to succeed as a mortician—and one, it turns out, that Freemasons are well suited to.

Three Masons Working as Death’s Doormen

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Meet three Masons with an intimate familiarity with death—and the other side.

At a Hollywood Cemetery, a Masonic ‘Forever’ Lodge

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The Masons moved out ages ago, but their aura remains at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Freemasonry’s Spiritual Cousins

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The California Masonic Symposium returns to explore Masonry’s spiritual roots.

In Benicia, a Historic Masonic Lodge, Now with LEDs

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The 18th century Benicia Masonic Hall, the oldest Masonic lodge in California, gets a 21st century makeover.

Donor Profile: Antonio Cimarra

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An aviation expert, this SoCal Mason has seen Masonic relief up close. That’s why now, he makes a point of giving back.

Traditions in the Trimming

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Exploring the rich cultural traditions of global Masonic attire, Masonic aprons, and other costumes of Freemasonry.

In Their Words

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Examining the relationship of three literary legends with Freemasonry and its impact on their prolific bodies of work

Tales From a Masonic Pen

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Discovering the fraternal life of Mark Twain

Worthy of Being Worn

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More than a symbol of fraternal devotion, the Masonic apron embodies the wearer’s presentation of himself – to his lodge and to the world.

The Perfect Fit

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One Mason’s desire to create something new, beautiful, and impactful carries through to present day.

For Community, For Family

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One Northern California father put his Masonic values into action to unite his community around special-needs kids.